N13bn Ikoyi cash: Whistle-blower may get N325m reward

There were indications on Thursday that the man who informed the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission of the $43m, N23.2m and £27,800 (N13bn) recovered from an Ikoyi apartment in April, may be given about N325m in the light of the Federal Government's whistle-blower policy.

The whistle-blower policy states that any whistle-blower whose information leads to the recovery of over N5bn will attract a 2.5 per cent reward.

The acting Chairman of the EFCC, Ibrahim Magu, who did not disclose how much would be given to the whistle-blower, said the commission was already counselling him on how to spend the money.

Magu, while speaking at the ongoing 7th Session of the Conference of States Parties to the United Nations Convention Against Corruption holding in Vienna, Austria, said the whistle-blower was a man who had "never seen N1m in his life."

He, therefore, called on Nigerians who want a positive change in the country to take advantage of the whistle-blower policy.

The EFCC boss said aside from contributing to the eradication of corruption, potential whistle-blowers would also benefit from the illicit acquisition by the looters.

Magu said, "We are currently working on the young man because this is just a man who had not seen N1m of his own before. So, he is under counselling on how to make good use of the money and also the security implication. We don't want anything bad to happen to him after taking delivery of his entitlement. He is a national pride.

"So we encourage more whistle-blowers to come forward with genuine information that will lead to recoveries from looters of public treasuries. That is part of the ways we can put an end to the looting madness in the public sector.

"When they know that they have no place to keep the loot, as all eyes are on them, they will find looting of public treasuries unattractive."

A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos and presided by Justice Muslim Hassan had on June 7, 2017 ordered the final forfeiture of the total sum of $43,449,947, £27,800 and N23,218, 000 to the Federal Government which means all legal hurdles have been crossed.

The money, which belongs to the National Intelligence Agency, has since been deposited in the Central Bank of Nigeria.